U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited his long-running attack on Joe Biden’s use of the presidential autopen, claiming in a Truth Social post on Friday that he is “cancelling all executive orders, and anything else that was not directly signed” by the former president.
Trump asserted — without evidence — that approximately “92%” of Biden’s actions were signed using the autopen and should therefore be considered invalid. He further claimed Biden “was not involved” in decisions related to autopen use, warning that Biden could face “charges of perjury” if he denies it.
Legal experts say the claims have no foundation. Presidential use of the autopen has been reviewed multiple times by the U.S. government, including by Republican administrations. A 2005 Office of Legal Counsel opinion under President George W. Bush confirmed that the president does not need to personally sign bills for them to be valid. In fact, autopen use has been common and bipartisan for decades, employed by presidents when they are travelling or unable to physically sign documents.
Even pardons — which Trump frequently targets in his autopen accusations — do not legally require a handwritten presidential signature. A 1929 Solicitor General memo noted that the Constitution does not prescribe any specific method for issuing pardons.
Biden has repeatedly dismissed the claims as baseless political theatre, insisting he personally made the decisions behind all actions authorized during his presidency. Congressional inquiries have raised questions about the extent of Biden’s involvement in some autopen-signed documents, but no evidence has emerged indicating that anyone else made decisions on his behalf.
Trump’s latest declaration raises further skepticism about whether a sitting president can nullify past executive actions based solely on how they were signed. There is no legal mechanism that supports such a move — and no constitutional precedent that grants a president the power to invalidate actions on the grounds Trump asserts.
While the post is consistent with Trump’s long-standing effort to delegitimize Biden’s presidency, analysts say it is unlikely to have any formal legal effect. Instead, it signals escalating political messaging as Trump continues to question Biden’s autonomy and competency in office.
The White House has not yet formally responded to the latest claims.